Mbabane – An Eswatini court has prosecuted a female state official with corruption for enabling the citizenship of beleaguered South African billionaire Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.
This happens while Matlala has been speaking before the South African Parliament Ad Hoc Committee at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre since yesterday, regarding allegations made by KZN Police Commissioner Lt Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that purpotedly link him to leading a crime syndicate while colluding with the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Today, Nonhlanhla Phumla Malambe, 47, of Mbasheni, an officer with the Ministry of Home Affairs, went to the Mbabane Magistrates Court in the capital city of Eswatini, under the watch of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigators. She shielded herself and shied away from the cameras both in and outside court afetr appearance prompting the presiding magistrate to request her to remove her hat.
Malambe faces two charges related to the contravention of the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) no. 3 of 2006. She allegedly issued the ID with the name Vusimuzi Dlamini to Matlala. Malambe is accused of violating Sections 42 (1) (b) (i) and 42 (1) (b) (ii) of the Act.
The charge sheet states that the job function of Malambe did not mandate her to facilitate the citizenship and that as an employee of the Ministry of Home Affairs, this amounted to an abuse of her position of authority and a breach of trust and amounted to a violation of her legal duty and/or a set of rules.
According to the charge sheet, case number 1145/2025, she issued these documents on February 12th, 2024, at or near the Mbabane area in the Hhohho region.
Malambe is charged on count one with “individually or jointly in furtherance of common purpose unlawfully and directly or indirectly giving and/or offering to give one Vusimuzi Matlala, a South African male adult, and/or any other person the advantage of the production and/or issuance of a Kingdom of Eswatini Birth Certificate.”
In count two, she is accused of directly or indirectly giving and/or offering Matlala and/or any other person the advantage of the production and/or issuance of Kingdom of Eswatini National Identity number 7605286100465.
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